A Flower in Midgar
by tan90
Summary: Aerith is a girl who earns money by being taken advantage of by others. She has no family, no money, and no one to love. One day a mysterious man defended her from a fiend. He may have saved her from the rapist, but is she beyond the point of saving her from the life of a whore? This is my first fic. Go easy on me. Rated M for language and adult themes.
1. The Stranger

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of these characters. Square/Square Soft/Square Enix does. Don't sue me please.

Author's Note:

This is my first fic, ever. Please be gentle. I read alot of fics and they were nice and all, but I wanted to write my own.

So here it is! I hope you like it, and feedback is always nice! c:

(Also I'm new to this so I don't know much about this site in general, I usually just visit it through mobile and read some stuffs when I'm sick.)

Aerith sighed and got out of the bed. She felt terrible. She always felt terrible. But she had a job to do, and that job was to do

Men.

She hated her job, but she needed to make ends meet. Aerith's mother, Elmyra, was deceased, and she had to work to keep food in her mouth, clothes on her back, and to buy birth control pills.

Aerith had no place to live, except of course, the houses she stayed at plenty of nights to do her... services. It was a tiresome task, but she normally passed out from the pain and awoke at dawn, naked, used, and alone.

For 3 years she lived like this. Roaming the streets at night searching for another man to do her work upon. She could not wash up because the men she worked with almost never let her use their facilities, just use her and kick her out in the morning. Some had even tried to kill her to avoid paying, though Aerith was quite strong and a master at defending herself with long, blunt objects. She was almost never clean and she only wiped her self clean of their... "fluids". But underneath that layer of filth was a beautiful girl. She was fit from all the running and hiding from cops and undesirables.

All she wanted was a place to call home, and a man who actually saw her as a person, and not just some object.

"Is that too much to ask for?" She thinks as she weeps every night she spends with another man.

\(o.o)/

Cloud sighed as he got out of the bed. He felt terrible. He always felt terrible. His muscles were sore from the training and being yelled at wasn't helping either. Cloud was a SOLDIER, but a lower ranking melee fighter who did the dirty work of Shin-Ra. He had to finish off the weaker monsters that the 1st class left behind when doing their missions. Cloud was an exceptionally gifted fighter, but he lacked morale. He had nothing to fight for. Anything he loved either betrayed him or left him and he was quickly forgotten. He only wanted his money and be done with it. He could have easily been promoted if it weren't for his aloof attitude and his disregard for discipline. After the war against

Wutai was over, he still worked as a mercenary, though he got payed less often. He traveled around Gaia.

All he ever wanted was a purpose in life. Something to live for. And a purpose he was given, when one fateful night he was wandering the streets of the Sector 6 Slums.

"Disgusting." he said as he kicked around a can filled with lord-knows-what. Just then, he heard a muffled scream.

\(o.o)/

"Please sir, I need money too. I really need this. I want to finally make something of myself"

"Quiet!" the man shushed her. "I'm not going to pay you. Instead, I'll give you something better."

Aerith froze. She knew what was going to happen. "I'll fuck you till you can't see daylight!" He started to rip her clothes off and fondle her medium sized breast. She cried as he helped himself to her body. He placed a slightly damp rag

on her face.

'I didn't think it was going to end like this' She frantically thought. 'I wish I did more with my life'

Just then, another man put his hands on her rapist's neck, and quickly twisted it. Snapping his neck and sending him dead on the floor. She screamed another time and felt like throwing up from the explicit display of violence. The chloroform had kicked in and she fainted into the murderer's arms. One of her only sleeps in which she didn't feel pain in her private area.

\(o.o)/

"Jesus Christ" Cloud muttered. He started to walk away from the half-naked girl's fainted body.

'I can't just leave her here though!' he thought. 'She might die from the cold, or worse, end up with another of... those things.' He was referring to the scoundrel who had tried to defile her sacred body. Cloud looked at her and saw she was covered in dirt and had dried tears on her face. He knew that she was just another peasant. Or worse, a street rat. A damn fine looking one at that. Cloud finally calmed the dilemma in his mind and decided to nurse her back to health. Showing a bit of kindness can go a long way, right?

Author's Note: Okay! That was the first chapter. This fic is gonna be relatively short because I don't have much of a conflict in mind. Only a plot. Oops. If you hate this fic, don't flame me please, can you review how I can get better at writing? Please take the time to put some feedback! c:


	2. A Place to Call Home

DISCLAIMER: Yeah, yeah, I don't own Final Fantasy VII nor the characters. They belong to Square Enix.

**Author's Note: I recently took out my nVIDIA graphics card because my motherboard is broken, so when I plugged my monitor's VGA cord into the computer instead of the card, it got damn slower, and not to mention... I CAN'T SEE THE COLOR RED. The whole screen looks blue and green and I can't see any shades of red, it's replaced with black. BS DETECTED.**

Finally she woke up. Her ears were ringing and her head had a wound from the rough encounter she had with the man.

"Just a bit longer..." she said as tossed and turned on the... bed? 'I don't own a bed' she thought. Then she remembered everything that had happened last night.

It startled her and she got out of the bed and looked around. It was a small apartment and it was very dark. She turned around to head toward the door. That's when a strange man with blond hair in small spikes and a larger cowlick in the middle, had appeared right in her face. Aerith gasped and stumbled backwards and fell on the bed, and he approached her. The room was too dark to see his face, and he couldn't see the look of fear on her face.

"Damn, it's dark in hear" he said. He walked right past her and turned on the lamp. Finally she could see his face. He had a chisled jaw and wore a scowl at almost all the time. She felt somewhat relieved because he didn't look like the evil type.

"Might I ask who you are?" Aerith asked, her voice still shaken up.

"It doesn't matter. I didn't bring you here to have a conversation" he responded coldly. "What do you want to eat?" He asked with a more polite tone.

"Whatever you have lying around is fine by me" She answered, dumbfounded. She then realized why he brought her here.

"I made you a sandwich, I hope thats oka-?!" Cloud dropped the sandwich and his face turned a deep shade of red as he found Aerith on his bed completely naked with a sexy pose covering her boobs with her arms and her legs folded in a seductive manner covering her no-no areas.

"Let's get this over with..." She turned away and blushed.

"I'm not gonna- OH GOD!" Cloud gasped while she struck another seductive pose. "L-look lady, I didn't want- t-this. I just thought you needed h-help so I brought you here to help you out." His eyes trailed away from her body as he tried to look on the floor, then he grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt from his drawer and handed it to her. "Keep this."

"Oh. OHH. Sorry for the confusion." She turned the other way and put the clothes on. The two didn't look at each other for a while, finally, Cloud broke the silence.

"I can still give you a sandwich if you want..." He walked toward the kitchen and picked up the one he dropped, threw it away, and made her a new one. She ate in silence and he stared at her. Finally, Aerith finished. She faced him and spoke.

"I apologize for that, I just... thought... you were another a client and I just need some money" She muttered. "My name is Aerith Gainsborough. Just another prostitute from the slums" She faltered. It felt so embarassing for her to actually have to introduce herself and tell him what he did.

"I'm Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER. Listen, who was that guy harassing you?" Cloud asked. Aerith turned the other way."

"Some common thug, I think he works for this really high pimp and he wanted me to join him." She got up and grabbed her dress. "Well, I appreciate the food and the clothes, but I must be going, men don't do themselves, y'know?" She had a sad look on her face as she walked out of the apartment. Just as she left the building, Cloud chased after her.

"W-wait!" He yelled. Cloud ran after her. "You can't just go back out there!" The sudden call for her made Aerith trip on the pavement. She winced in pain, then looked at him.

"Why not? I have to work. Don't stop me." She had a hint of annoyance on her beautiful face. Cloud stopped, then reassured himself.

"Don't go back out there. I can't stand to see people take advantage of nice girls like you." He explained.

"How can YOU help me. You can't get me a new life, what can YOU do?"

"I can TRY. You can stay at my place until we can get you on your feet. I've been in the military before, I got some connections, I can help you find a job, a place, or whatever. Just give me a shot."

"You-you would do that for me?" Aerith choked between tears. "I'm just a homeless slut. Why? Why do you want to help me." Cloud pondered for a moment.

"It's not my responsibility to help you, but I chose to. I want to help you." But secretly, Cloud really found her beautiful and he thought that he could get to know her better by helping her out.

"So what do you say," Cloud started, extending his hand to help her up. "May I help you?" She took his hand, and he helped her inside his apartment. Aerith couldn't believe a man could be this nice, offering her a place to stay, food, and most of all, believing in her.

**Author's Note: It's hard for me to write dialogue because I'm not a social person myself. I'll try my best, and thanks for reading.**


	3. Next Morning

**Author's Note: Still no red... gotta get my computer fixed. I'll try to work on fics faster since I'm on vacation! So here's **

**the next chapter!**

Night time finally fell and the two were, once again, in a sticky situation. Even though Cloud was a SOLDIER, he was only a lower-ranking class, so he was still forced to live in the Sector 7 slums. Ironically enough, AVALANCHE was also stationed in Sector 7, but his childhood friend/sister-in-law, Tifa Lockheart convinced AVALANCHE's leader to not touch Cloud. In exchange, Tifa let them keep the 7th Heaven Bar as their permanent hideout when she went to live on the plate with her husband Zack, Cloud's older brother.

Sector 7 was much colder than Sector 6, and to make matters worse, the apartment Cloud lives in didn't have a radiator. Aerith, although, was nice and comfy in Cloud's bed, as he applied thick blankets, whereas Cloud was somewhat shaking from the cold couch he slept on. His SOLDIER training and the Mako coursing through his veins helped keep him warm.

'I really should allow Cloud to sleep in this bed with me,' Aerith thought to herself 'I mean, it is his house, and I'm just his guest, but then again, this is a twin-sized bed, and 2 people can't sleep here.' Previously, Cloud had told her that she should have the bed because the only suitable clothes she had was the T-shirt and shorts Cloud gave her, and sleeping on the couch would give her hypothermia. Eventually, her guilt consumed her, so she walked over to Cloud to wake him up.

"Cloud." She nudged his body. "Cloud!" she nudged again. He was asleep like a log. Eventually she started yelling and slapping his body, but to no avail. Just when she was about to give up, she grabbed Cloud's arms and hoisted them over her neck and carried him to the bed.

'Damn, you are heavy!' Aerith thought. She felt like she was gonna crumble under the weight. The couch and the bed were only around 20 feet away, but when she finally dropped him on the bed, she felt like she just ran a marathon. Aerith pushed him to the left side of the bed and succumbed to slumber. The next morning, Cloud woke up at 6 o'clock.

'How did I get here?' he pondered. Then memories from the previous day surged into his brain and he came to the conclusion that somehow, this girl sleeping next to him dragged him here. Wait. Girl sleeping next to him?! He rolled the other direction and Aerith was sleeping in his direction, his lips dangerously close to hers. Fortunately, she wasn't awake. For a brief minute, he stared at her, appreciating her beauty. She looked so peaceful, so tranquil.

'What am I thinking.' He felt like scum. 'I'm here to help her, and nothing more.' Suddenly, Aerith shifted in her sleep and Cloud prayed she wouldn't wake up. He was still staring at her.

"Phew..." He said to himself. A little too loud. Aerith woke up and stared right back into his deep blue eyes. Cloud blushed, but found himself unable to move. He just lay there. Aerith, on the other hand, was still processing what was happening. There was 3 seconds of silence, then she screamed and accidentally hit Cloud's forehead with her own. The impact made Cloud fall out of his twin-sized bed and he fell to the floor. Both of them were blushing an extreme shade of red.

"SORRY!" They both screamed at each other, then Cloud ran to the kitchen and Aerith ran to the bathroom, both to clear their heads. Cloud prepared breakfast and Aerith freshened up. They ate their breakfast in silence, only thinking how much the other person must hate them. Cloud thought that Aerith thinks he is a creep and wanted to leave him, while Aerith thought that Cloud thinks she is an aggressive bitch and wants to kick her out. Finally,

Cloud broke the silence and told her, "I'm sorry for breaking your personal space. I understand if you hate me."

"Wait what?" Aerith inquired.

"To make it up to you, do you wanna go shopping for new clothes?" Cloud asked as he tossed her a small bag full of gil. "Here's my month's pay. 4,000 gil. It's pretty much all the money I have that wont be spent toward bills or groceries."

"I'm not mad at you." Aerith smiled. Such elegance. "Y'know, if you want to kiss me, you could just ask. It's the least I can do for you. No charge! Seriously!"

"Wha-?! That was not my intention!" Cloud defensively crossed his arm. "I was just checking on you. See if you were awake..."

"Whatever." She laughed and got up. "So let's get going then?"

"Hold up. I gotta brush my teeth and fix my hair. But before I do that..." He walked over to his closet and grabbed some brown combat boots, socks, and a trench coat. Cloud then handed it to Aerith. "It's damn cold outside. Just wear it until we can buy you new clothes."

"Thanks!" Aerith put on the clothes and sat on the bed while Cloud did his stuff. Finally, the two left and head to the parking lot of the apartment. "So where's your car?" Aerith asked.

"I don't have a car..." Cloud said as he grabbed something in his back pocket.

"Are we walking?" She said with a frown.

"Nope!" Cloud had a devious smile. "Wait here." He instructed her. Aerith waited at the exit of the parking lot, and in a couple of seconds, Cloud drove up riding his Fenrir motorcycle. "Hop on!"

"Where do I sit?" Aerith asked, slightly annoyed "There's no second seat!" Cloud scooted forward from his seat and instructed her to sit behind him.

"You might wanna hold on."

"To what?!"

"Me" Cloud quickly took of at a breakneck speed to Wall Market and Aerith was forced to hug Cloud's back to prevent her from falling. It took them half an hour to get to Wall Market and by the time they got there, Aerith looked like she was ready to puke and her hair was pushed backward. Cloud's hair looked relatively the same and Aerith wondered just how much gel he puts on.

"Why did it take us so long to get here?" Aerith asked, suspicious of their route to Wall Market.

"Oh, um... I took the safer route here. Not much monsters if I drove this way." Cloud lied and nervously laughed.

He took the long way.


	4. Troubles at the Honey Bee Inn

**Author's Note: WOW! Thanks guys for the reviews. I thought getting reviews and such was gonna be the hard part of writing, but clearly not. I'm simultaneously writing 2 stories at once, so it can get a bit overwhelming at times, but I'll see what I can do.**

**Oh and no, I haven't played Crisis Core. I don't a PSP, so the only time I played it was at my cousin's house (and he was really stingy about it too!).**

**Thanks to Hazza for your feedback. I'll try taking your advice and putting it into the story. **

**To the Guest who wanted a sex scene: I don't think I can write a sex scene. If I do, I'm gonna have to do some research on it. **

**To the Guest asking about Cloud's current strength: Cloud is a decent amount of strength in this fic. He has mako in his blood, he doesn't have the buster sword (Zack still has it).**

**Special thanks to Saiyan, Deflow, and Paronama! I appreciate your nice reviews!**

Just inhaling the fumes given off by the people in Wall Market could cure your shopping fever. It always smelled like alcohol and cigarettes, and thanks to the Honey Bee Inn, it now smells like blood and sweat and other _unnameable_ stenches. Aerith was all to keen on these smells, but Cloud was troubling to keep his breakfast inside of him.

'Damn my heightened senses' Cloud thought frantically 'My eyes are watering from the stench.' They finally reached a clothing shop. Cloud simply sat in the chair as Aerith took her time choosing her clothing.

'Why is this taking so long?' Cloud was starting to get irritated, but then realized that this must've been Aerith's first time shopping, and she never got to experience this type of luxury. He decided to cool off somewhere else.

"Hey Aerith!" Cloud rang out, "I'm gonna go get some fresh air, I'll be back. Don't talk to strangers, et cetera"

"Sure thing." Aerith called back. "Ha! 'Fresh air'. Good luck with that..." She silently mumbled. Cloud wandered his way through Wall Market and found a place to eat. The place was packed and he quickly took a seat.

"What do you want?" The cook asked without even looking at Cloud.

"Just give me the Korean BBQ." Cloud ordered. When his food was handed to him, he didn't even eat it, he just sniffed it and appreciated that it didn't smell like shit. He asked for a box and left, BBQ still warm and its mediocre smell wafting through the Styrofoam box. As Cloud wandered some more, he noticed a particular man dressed in formal attire, pacing back and forth with a plastic card in his hand. Cloud simply placed a hand on his shoulder and asked,

"Hey man, what's up?" The man looked at Cloud and studied him for a bit.

"I can't make up my mind. Here, take this membership card to the Honey Bee Inn, I don't need it." The man handed the plastic card to Cloud and quickly paced away.

"Huh. Honey Bee Inn. Never heard of it."

Meanwhile...

Aerith finished buying pyjamas, summer wear, and some winter attire. She walked out of the store with a completely new outfit. She was wearing a soft, pink button-up dress; a small red, leather jacket; and a pink ribbon on her hair and a red ribbon around her neck. She kept wearing Cloud's brown combat boots for sentimental reasons.

'I bought Cloud a little something-something' She smiled. 'I hope he'll like it!' She gleefully skipped around Wall Market, clearly standing out from everyone as she was the only non-depressing person in this whole town, maybe even in this whole sector.

Aerith finally skipped her way to the south-east side of Wall Market and saw Cloud talking to a well-dressed man.

"CLOUD!" She shrieked like a little girl. "CLOUDDDD!" No use. He couldn't hear her. She watched as Cloud received something from the man and walked toward an area secluded from Wall Market.

"No... He can't be.. going in there?" She thought aloud. Aerith followed Cloud into the fabled Honey Bee Inn, hoping for the best.

\(O.O)/

There was a large crowd drawing around the entrance of the Honey Bee Inn. Cloud could only wonder what was going on inside. As he peered over the crowd, a man yelled,

"Members only! If you're not a member, GET LOST!" The man then intimidated the crowd by showing off the gun at his waist. Everyone scurried off quickly, except Cloud. When Cloud finally realized what this place was, the man eyed the membership card in his hand.

"Right this way, sir." The man directed.

"No... you see, I didn't kn-"

"It's all good, just come with me." The man grabbed Cloud by the arm and dragged him inside the "inn" and left. Cloud tried to leave, but the door was locked to keep others out... and him in.

'Shit.' He thought. 'How am I supposed to find Aerith now, does she think I just ran off?' Just then, he was greeted by a woman in a very revealing bikini with black and yellow stripes, wings, and a stinger.

"Hello sir!" She smiled. "Welcome to the Honey Bee Inn. My name is Samantha. Which room would you like to take?"

"No look, I made a mista-"

"Tut-tut" she interrupted. "I understand you are a shy one," She gave a devious grin. "So how about I choose one for you?" She grabbed him and dragged him to the "&$#% Room." Cloud found himself unable to fight back. Samantha locked the door with Cloud and her inside.

She pushed him on the bed and started to undo his pants. This snapped Cloud back into reality.

"St-Stop that!" He exclaimed. He didn't want to admit it, but he was feeling a bit excited, but his conscience got the better of him and as she knelt down, her face dangerously close to his private area, a loud thumping on the door was heard

THUMP THUMP THUMP. It sounded like someone was trying to break into the room.

"_Occupied~!_" Samantha sang to the door. She then tried to force her face onto Cloud's... area? Cloud grabbed her by the head and pushed her backward, to keep her away. Just then, the door was finally kicked down and a suprised Aerith emerged from the door.

"Cloud! What do you think you're do-WHAA?!" Aerith shrieked and dropped her shopping bag on the floor. Cloud and Aerith found themselves staring at each other. Cloud had completely forgotten the situation and was staring at a beautiful Aerith. Her outfit absolutely suited her. The dress she was wearing was very modest and the bow on her head and her braid made her look so innocent.

Aerith on the other hand was looking at Cloud, as he had a girl on her knees and his hand on her head, and her tounge sticking out. She could only guess one thing.

"How could you do this to me, Cloud!?" Aerith looked infuriated and stormed away from the room. Cloud pushed Samantha onto the ground and ran after her, while trying to button his pants.

"Jeez, so forceful..." Samantha muttered as she left to the makeup room.

"Aerith, wait!" Cloud tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. She didn't exactly know where she could storm off to, but she wanted to let Cloud know the consequences of his actions.

"Please, Aerith, stop-" SMACK! Aerith did a 180 and slapped Cloud so hard he fell on the ground.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?" She scolded him. "Why did you just _LEAVE_ me and go off with some slut?!" The irony is real.

"It's not what you think! I swear!" Cloud reasoned.

He then explained the whole scenario to Aerith and she somewhat cooled off.

"And that's when you found me in the &$#% room. I might've gotten molested if you didn't barge right in." He concluded his story. Aerith was silent and just sat down on pavement and Cloud sat right next to her.

"What I don't understand is how YOU got in the inn," Cloud softly spoke, "I thought it was member's only..."

"I _was_ an employee there, years ago..." Aerith started to tear up. "I was just a little girl, and so many men violated me there, and for what? A meal and a place to sleep." Aerith silently sobbed and Cloud put his arm around her.

"Hey, don't cry now. What's done is done, and survival is important. I'm sure you did only what was necessary. Do you want to talk about it?" Cloud asked. Aerith shook her head, and cried into his shoulder. "Let's go home..." He picked up Aerith bridal style and carried her to the bike, and they drove off. They reached the apartment in a couple of minutes.

"That was short." Aerith commented. "Last time it took us half an hour."

"Uhh. Less traffic?" Cloud lied. Aerith just laughed and the two went up to the roof of the apartment and sat down to watch the sunset and eat the BBQ Cloud bought at Wall Market.

"Hey, Aerith, you're not mad at me because you caught me with another girl right?" Cloud asked

"Of course I am!" She laughed and playfully punched Cloud in the arm.

"It's okay to be a jealous." Cloud told her

"I was NOT!" She defended.

And as the sun started to step, Aerith and Cloud's faces drew closer and closer. Aerith whispered in his ear, "Do you promise not to get mad at me if I tell you something?"

"Of course not!" He smiled. Then their faces got extremely close to each other and Cloud closed his eyes and held his breath, waiting for their lips to connect. But then, Aerith whispered in his ear,

.

.

.

.

.

.

"I left the clothes I bought at the Honey Bee Inn..."

"You WHAT?!"

"Sorry..." Aerith gave Cloud a hug and went down to Cloud's apartment room to take a shower.

Cloud simply smiled and fist-pumped.

"Tier 1 achieved!"


	5. A Date on the Plate

**Author's Note: Okay! I'm gonna post a new chapter! Sorry for the delay, I was caught up playing EarthBound.**

**And now to answer some questions.**

**To TOWTWUKER: The "Tier 1" thing was a reference to Adventure Time, where Jake explained the 15 tiers of a relationship. It was a joke and it was the same thing I said to myself when I was in 8th grade and the girl I liked hugged me for the first time.**

**To HazzaTL3: Aerith didn't want to collect the clothing because she had many bad memories at the Honey Bee Inn, also Cloud had the bike, and it would be easier to ask him to pick it up instead of her walking there.**

**And your second question: Meh. I always believed that the girls who work at the Honey Bee Inn receive payment monthly and get a bonus for every customer they personally "take care of." She needs to put food on the table too...**

**To Guest who asked about the line in Chapter 1: I'll clear up the confusion in a later chapter. (Probably next chapter)**

**To the other Guest: She slapped Cloud because she does not condone the Honey Bee Inn as they enforce childhood trafficking, and because she was jealous.**

**OKAY NOW FOR THE STORY!**

Cloud returned from the Honey Bee Inn with Aerith's clothing. They revoked his membership for breaking down a door and "assaulting" a employee (Even though if he didn't, he'd probably get raped.). It was already 9 o'clock when Cloud entered his apartment, where he was greeted with a fresh-out-of-the-shower Aerith.

"Welcome back, Cloud!" She swooped over and quickly grabbed the shopping bag. "Thanks! I think I'll use the pyjamas I bought right now." She removed her towel, and Cloud was dumbfounded, as she had now shame, changing right in front of him.

"W-What are you d-doing?" an embarrassed Cloud asked. His nose gushed forth with blood.

"Changing, what does it look like?" She bent over... and Cloud could got a good view, but quickly fainted from the loss of blood.

When he came to, it was already morning, and his face was clean of blood. Aerith somehow managed to carry him to bed... again. He got out of bed and saw Aerith, luckily fully clothed-ish. She was wearing soft short-shorts and a tank top showing off her mid-riff. She was sitting on the couch, trying to read a magazine.

"Hey! You're awake! What happened? Do you have like chronic nosebleeds or something?" She put down the magazine to observe him.

"Uhm, no. I'm just not used to seeing ladies naked." He was remembering the events of last night. "Speaking of which, why the hell did you not change in the bathroom?!" Cloud was clearly irritated, but Aerith just shrugged.

"I thought you already saw me naked before." She then dropped her head. "And I forgot what it was like to be ashamed to show my body." Cloud took the hint and quickly lowered his temper. He walked toward the couch and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry. You must've had a pretty rough life to have a mindset like that. But hey, I don't judge. How about you try on some of your new clothes, and you can show me. Will that make you feel better?" Aerith's eyes lit up and she grabbed the shopping bag and ran to the bathroom.

"Sure!" and Cloud simply thought,

'What am I getting myself into?' and for the next hour, Aerith had a mini fashion show for Cloud as she tried on everything. He was shocked as her clothes were kinda... revealing? and he could only guess how she got that type of fashion. He told her he favoured the pink dress and Aerith simply nodded.

"I guess this will be my normal attire!" She smiled as she modelled her pink dress, combat boots, braided hair with ribbon combo. Cloud smiled as he was happy that he was helping her on her first steps toward a normal life. "And enough about me, Cloud, I got you a new outfit!" She showed Cloud a sleeveless, blue turtle-neck sweater.

"Wow! Thanks. I guess you know my style." Cloud smiled, but secretly thought, 'And I think it's time I use a different style. Sleeveless turtle-necks can get a bit uncomfortable...'

"I'm glad you like it." They smiled at each other, and it was another of those awkward moments in which they couldn't help but stare. Breaking the silence, Cloud stood up and removed his shirt and armor. Aerith blushed as she saw his chest. He put his new shirt on, and it fit like a glove.

"What happened to 'changing in the bathroom' and 'seeing each other naked', blah blah blah."

"It's not taboo for a man to remove his shirt in public..."

"That's gender-discrimination! I'll do whatever I see fit." Aerith crossed her arms and whisked her head to face away from Cloud, making her braid slap him in the face.

"Whatever." The two ate breakfast together and Cloud was trying to teach Aerith to read, as she was never formally taught. They sat on the bed, Aerith trying to summon all her inner intelligence. It was noon when their teaching session was over.

"I don't know what to do for the rest of the day... Cloud, what should we do? It's too hot to stay in the apartment." Aerith whined

"Well... I guess..." Cloud paused and took a deep breath. "We... could do an... activity together?"

"Activity what-now?"

"Like, I d-don't know, get a bite to eat? I got some money I was saving for a special occasion. We can go up to the plate and try a fancy restaurant."

"So, it's... gonna be like a date?" Aerith slyly asked, her face poised for innocence

"You know, you're not making it easy for me..."

"I know." Aerith giggled. "Sure! Why not. I always wondered what life was like above the slums."

"YES!" Cloud rejoiced. "I mean... whatever." He continued to resume his aloof façade. "Do you still have that trench coat I let you borrow?"

"Yeah, why?" Aerith put her hands on her hips.

"Put it on, along with these." Cloud grabbed a fedora and shades. Aerith did so and complained.

"Do I HAVE to wear these? It's hot enough, and I look like a lame detective."

"You need to look inconspicuous. The security system is a bit rough on the people who live in the slums. I can pass by telling the officials that I'm a SOLDER infantryman, but if they see a peasant girl, no offence, trying to pass, chances are, they'll stop you."

"Oh. But my outfit still seems a bit fishy."

"I guess you can take this brief case. With it, you look like another officer." Aerith nodded and Cloud looked at the clock.

"It's 11:20 and the next train to the upper plate leaves at 11:30. We better hurry." The two ran to the parking lot and Aerith did not hesitate to wrap her arms around Cloud as he drove the Fenrir to the train station. They arrived there in 7 minutes and they rushed to the security line.

"NEXT!" A lady who was probably the inspector yelled. Cloud and Aerith walked up and Cloud put his Shin-Ra card on the table.

"Cloud Strife, SOLDIER infantryman. I am needed in the Shin-Ra HQ on request. This girl behind be is my partner." The lady continued to smack on her bubble gum.

"I'm gonna need some identification for her." She said, with a robotic monotone.

"This is urgent. We need to go NOW."

"I'm sorry, but no ID equals no train ride."

"BULLSHIT!" Cloud slammed his hand on the table.

"Cloud." Aerith whispered. "Leave it to me." Aerith opened the briefcase, whipped out a gun and slammed it on the table.

"I'm Aerith Gainsborough. I'm a Turk and have orders from Tseng to report to HQ immediately. For stalling us here, I can have your ass in jail." The lady blew a bubble with her gum and inspected the gun.

"That's a Turk standard issue firearm." Cloud whispered in Aerith's ear. "How'd you get it?"

"I'll tell you later." Aerith whispered back. The lady returned the gun to Aerith and told them,

"Fine." She then grabbed a pamphlet and stamped it. Afterwards, she grabbed the intercom microphone and said to it, "Delay Train 11 for 2 more passengers."

Cloud grabbed the pamphlet and they casually walked to the train. The conductor tipped his hat to them as they boarded. When they sat down, Aerith opened the briefcase which contained the gun and told Cloud,

"I really did get this gun from the Turks." Aerith explained. "Some time ago, I met Tseng, the leader. I thought he was just another client for my little... uhm.. small time business. I found out he was a Turk when I saw his ID. He threatened to kill me if I told anyone that he, a Shin-Ra executive, was paying a prostitute for a night. That night, he was so rough in the bed with me. When he passed out on the bed, and I robbed him of his money and took his gun."

Aerith took a deep breath and continued her story. "I think he was pretty ticked off and he tipped off a pimp of my whereabouts, so that pimp sent his goon to find me and take me, and most likely, rape me to death. And that's where you come in."

"Oh yeah. That night I met you."

"So there. That's my story. I got a bunch more if you want."

"Nah. I'm good." The train finally arrived in the plate. When they got off, Aerith took the time to look around and smell the air.

"It's so beautiful! I can't smell any more smog in the air." Cloud just smiled as Aerith twirled around without a care in the world. When she was done with her little appreciation dance... thing, Cloud and Aerith walked side by side to the fancy restaurant.

Aerith was holding Cloud's hand.


	6. So No One Will Ever Hurt You Again

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry I was gone for quite a bit. Beat Earthbound, playin' Chrono Trigger (I don't quite see why everyone likes it THAT much) and I was learning a new programming language...**

**Jeez! I didn't know how much people liked Tseng. I merely chose him as it was stated in the game that he liked Aerith. I would've chosen Reno, but a hardy business man like Tseng seemed to fit the role more...**

**Sorry for all Tseng fans. :C Okay... THIS chapter will explain the relationship between Cloud, Zack, and Tifa.**

**And now for the story!**

Aerith couldn't help but gleefully skip around as she removed her trench coat and hat. She seemed to stand out from the crowd, but in a good way. Finally, she put her arm around Cloud's and they crossed the street.

They had reached their destination: "Acacia Steakhouse".

'I remember eating here.' Cloud thought. 'This is where Zack celebrated his bachelor party.' This was one of the only fancy restaurants on the plate.

"Is something wrong, Cloud?" Aerith asked. Cloud was staring at the door, and wasn't moving. He didn't reply either.

'The day I went here... was one of the worst days of my life.' Cloud considered finding a different restaurant, but he already reserved a table and he wanted to let Aerith experience what it felt like to live on the plate.

Cloud slowly opened the door for Aerith and she walked inside, he followed.

"Greetings sir," a waiter spoke to Cloud, "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes. Uhm. Strife, table for 2." Cloud responded.

"Right this way, please." The waiter grabbed 2 menus and directed Cloud and Aerith to a window seat. The waiter placed the menus on the table and said, "Just call us when you are ready to order" before leaving.

Aerith's eyes grew big as she looked at the menu.

"500 Gil just for WATER?!" Aerith nearly gagged.

"They claim that the water is 'fresh from the lifestream', and I don't buy it. Anyways, relax, I'll cover the costs." Aerith quickly scanned the menu for the cheapest item: Fettuccine Alfredo. 3000 Gil.

'Damn. That's about how much I earn every night...' Aerith silently thought and closed the menu. Cloud did likewise and a waitress went to their table.

"Are you ready to order?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Great! Can I start you off with any drinks?" Aerith considered asking for the "lifestream water".

"We'll have a bottle of Pinot Noir." Cloud responded. The waitress wrote it down and asked them what they were going to order.

"I'll have the Rib Eye Steak, medium rare, please." Cloud then reached for his wallet and handed the waitress one thousand gil. "Make sure the steak is prime." The waitress silently took the bribe and smiled.

"And I'll have the Fettuccine Alfredo."

"Sure thing. You're order will be out in a jiffy." The waitress took the menus and went to the kitchen. In a minute or so, she arrived with the Pinot Noir and 2 champaign glasses. She uncorked the bottle and poured Aerith and Cloud a glass, and left, leaving the bottle on the table.

Cloud sipped his glass and Aerith merely stared at it.

"Careful! It's a bit-" Aerith took 2 large gulps from the glass and started to gag. "strong..." Aerith tried her best not to make a scene, so she silently coughed.

The steak and fettuccine arrived and Aerith and glanced at the three forks on the left of her plate. She silently debated on which to take, then just grabbed the largest one. Cloud found no trouble into quickly slicing his steak with extremely clean cuts. After taking a few bites, Aerith finally spoke to Cloud.

"Cloud, I told you a bit of my past. Do you feel comfortable telling me a bit of yours?" Aerith asked innocently. Cloud took a deep gulp of his wine and sighed.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" Aerith mischievously grinned and slyly asked Cloud.

"Did you have any girlfriends?" Cloud choked on his steak, and finally swallowed.

"Well, I really liked this girl named Tiffany Lockheart. We always called her Tifa, though."

"We?"

"Oh, my brother, Zack, and I. She was our neighbour when we lived in Nibelheim. And next to my brother, she was also my best friend."

"Why'd you move to Midgar?"

"Well, the three of us wanted to seek a new life outside from the rural country life. My brother and I decided to join SOLDIER and Tifa started up her own business in the Sector 7. She offered to house us in her bar while we were still training."

"Did you make it in?"

"Yeah. We took a test, and one day, a person from Shinra called us to stop by the Shinra building, as they had our results. My brother asked if I could pick up the result cards for him, as he had some 'important business to conduct.' I vouched for him, and when I read the results, we both were accepted into SOLDIER."

"That's great!"

"Yeah, on that day, I had the extra confidence needed to finally ask Tifa to be my girlfriend."

"Did she say yes?"

"Well... I ran to her bar, 7th Heaven, to go ask her. I looked through the window to check if she was there, and she was. I was about to enter, but then I saw another familiar person in the bar. My brother Zack... was on one knee. He reached for something in his pocket and showed it to Tifa, and she started to cry, and kissed Zack."

"Oh my..."

"I was devastated. With the bonus money he received from passing the test, Zack and Tifa moved to the plate, and Zack rised through the ranks quicker than any SOLDIER in history, minus the great Sephiroth. I on the on the other hand, never made it to even 3rd class. I could never come close to Zack."

They finally finished their meal, and Cloud payed the bill, and left a tip on the table, before leaving.

"That's my story. I know it's nowhere near as brutal as yours, though."

"Well, for what it's worth, I guess Tifa missed out on a great guy." Cloud softly smiled and Aerith giggled. They walked through the city talking about stuff, and seeing the sights. They walked to an abandoned building and sat to get away from the bustling crowd and watch the people walk by.

"It must be nice to live on the plate." Aerith commented.

"Yeah, but it's also damn expensive."

"How come you don't live on the plate, Cloud?"

"Well, my pay isn't to big, so I would have to live in a condo, also I don't think I would have enough money to keep my Fenrir in mint condition."

"Seriously...?"

"No, I'm just kidding. The main reason is that Zack and Tifa come to this area often, as this place has all the nice shops and restaurants and condominiums and what-nots. I'm afraid I might see them, and get hurt again."

"How about I give you something." Aerith reaced into a pocket on her jacket and gave a pendant to Cloud.

"What is this?" Cloud inspected the it and noticed it was carrying a small blue shield with decorations of silver and an iconic bird-like thing and a design of triangles."

"It's a shield. So no one will ever hurt you again." Aerith smiled and Cloud put it on. He tucked the pendant inside his shirt.

"Do you like it?" Aerith asked.

"Of course I do. But now my chest feels a bit cold." Aerith giggled and Cloud hugged her.

The sun finally set and the two went home.

**Author's Note: Well, there you go! Cloud's backstory in this fic. It's not too descriptive, but now you know why Cloud and Zack aren't in touch anymore.**


End file.
